The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-09-15
CoIIEGE EXPENSES.
What Sum Ii Needed to Send 10
Through a University.

| COLLEGE EXPENSES
What Sum Is Needed to Send Eoy
Through a University.
To those who intend or desire to send
their sons to college some OF the most
important questions are: How much
will it cost? What are the necessary
expenses of a college education? And
what sum is needed not only to send a
boy through college, but also to main
tain social equality with his mates?
At the last commencement of Harv-
ard University one of the professors
undertook to answer these queries. as
far as that institution was concerned.
He asked each member of the senior
class to write to him what the college
course had cost him. The analysis OF
the replies receiyed-which comprised
fve-sixths of the class-enabled the
professor to form a good estimate OF
the sums spent One-quarter OF the
class replied that they had spent be-
tween four hundred and six hundred
dollars year; another quarter spent
between six hundred and nine hundred
dollars; little over quarter spent
twelve hundred dollars year, or more.
The smallest amount spent was four
hundred dollars; the largest, over twelve
hundred dollars. The average sum
spent was about seven hundred and
fifty dollars year.
1t must be remembered that these
| figures relate to the largest of our uni
versities, one situated in a city. and
close by yet larger city, where the
ordinary expenses of living are much
higher than in those colleges which are
situated in country towns or villages.
The professor who made the statements
referred to, added: eff your son is
very economical, he can live at Har-
ward under six hundred dollars. If he
is able to live closely and carefully. he
may accomplish it by spending between
six hundred and eight hundred dollars.
II you wish him to live here at ease,
gaining the many advantages which
money can purchase, eight hundred to
one thousand dollars will be well ex-
pended"
OF course, at Harvard, as at many
other colleges, the poor boy who is a
bright and assiduous scholar may, BY
gaining scholarships. or taking advant-
age of the loan funds, relieve his
parents to large degree of the cost of
keeping him in college. 1t is safe to
say that very large number OF the
students in the smaller New England
colleges of the best class, such as
Amherst, Dartmouth, Bowdoin, go
through their course on an expenditure
of four hundred dollars or less year.
Such expenses as the college fees,
room rent, board and clothing can be
easily estimated by any individual
parent. The other expenses of stu
dents. such as the cost of membership
in college societies. social demands and
the extent of pocket money, are the I'M
certain ones. not so easily determined.
They are necessarily larger in a city
like New Haven or Boston than in a
country town like Amherst or Hanover
or Brunswick.
The professor who has been quoted
declares that the college authorities
can not check the extravagances of
students, orrcgulate their expenditures
for them. This must be done by the
parents; and the best way of doing it
is. after paying the regular bills for
tuition, room and board, to give the
son fixed allowance for clothes and
all other matters, land oblige him to
stick to it."
While this is strictly true at Harvard
and other very large colleges, it is not
so accurately said of the smaller col
leges, where the supervision of students
by the faculty is more easily exercised.
We know of cases at some of the insti-
buttons where the number of students
is small, in which, without inquisitorial
watchfulness, tendency to extraya-
gance has been healthily checked. But
wherever the young man is studying,
let the parent decide what he can
afford to give his son; whether he
wishes him to live economically. and
not take advantage of social opportu-
mites or expensive college associations;
or whether he is able to give him these
advantages at larger cost to himself.
1t is foolish, even for the richest pa
rent, to give his boy an unlimited call
upon his purse. That not only encour-
ages extravaganza in the boy himself.
but makes him an example of extrava-
gance to others. A fixed allowance.
large or small, according to the fathers
means, rigidly adhered to, is the wisest
plan which the father can adopt
Youths Companion.